BADGER

Facts

The European Badger is one of the largest; the American Badger, the Hog Badger, and the Honey Badger (Ratel) are generally a little smaller and lighter. Smaller Badger weigh around 9–11 kg (20–24 lb), while larger Badgers can weigh around 18 kg (40 lb).

Honey Badger

The Honey Badger has a fairly long body, but is distinctly thick-set and broad across the back. Its skin is remarkably loose, and allows the animal to turn and twist freely within it. The skin around the neck is 6 mm (0.24 in) thick, an adaptation to fighting conspecifics. The head is small and flat, with a short muzzle. The eyes are small, and the ears are little more than ridges on the skin, another possible adaptation to avoiding damage while fighting.

The Honey Badger has short and sturdy legs, with five toes on each foot. The feet are armed with very strong claws, which are short on the hind legs and remarkably long on the forelimbs. It is a partially plantigrade animal whose soles are thickly padded and naked up to the wrists. The tail is short and is covered in long hairs, save for below the base.

The Honey Badger is the largest terrestrial mustelid in Africa. Adults measure 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in) in shoulder height and 55–77 cm (22–30 in) in body length, with the tail adding another 12–30 cm (4.7–11.8 in). Females are smaller than males. In Africa, males weigh 9 to 16 kg (20 to 35 lb) while females weigh 5 to 10 kg (11 to 22 lb) on average. The mean weight of adult Honey Badger from different areas has been reported at anywhere between 6.4 to 12 kg (14 to 26 lb), with a median of roughly 9 kg (20 lb), per various studies. This positions it as the third largest known Badger.

There are two pairs of mammal. The Honey Badger possesses an anal pouch which, unusual among mustelids, is eversible, a trait shared with Hyena and Mongoose. The smell of the pouch is reportedly “suffocating”, and may assist in calming Bees when raiding beehives.

The winter fur is long, being 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long on the lower back, and consists of sparse, coarse, bristle-like hairs, with minimal underfur. Hairs are even sparser on the flanks, belly and groin. The summer fur is shorter (being only 15 mm (0.59 in) long on the back) and even sparser, with the belly being half bare. The sides of the head and lower body are pure black. A large white band covers the upper body, from the top of the head to the base of the tail.

The Honey Badger is mostly solitary, but has also been sighted in Africa to hunt in pairs during the breeding season in May. It also uses old burrows of Aardvark, Warthog and Termite mounds. It is a skilled digger, able to dig tunnels into hard ground in 10 minutes. These burrows usually have only one entry, are usually only 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) long with a nesting chamber that is not lined with any bedding.

The Honey Badger is famous for its strength, ferocity and toughness. It is known to savagely and fearlessly attack almost any other species when escape is impossible, reportedly even repelling much larger predators such as Lion and Hyena. Bee stings, Porcupine quills, and animal bites rarely penetrate their skin. If Horse, Cattle or Cape Buffalo intrude upon a Honey Badger burrow, it will attack them. In the Cape Province it is a potential prey species of Leopard and African Rock Python.

The Honey Badger has the least specialised diet of the weasel family next to the wolverine. It accesses a large part of its food by digging it out of burrows. It often raids Bee hives in search of both bee larvae and honey. It also feeds on Insect, Frog, Tortoise, Turtle, Lizard, Rodent, Snake, Bird and Egg. It also eats berries, roots and bulbs. When foraging for vegetables, it lifts stones or tears bark from trees. Some individuals have even been observed to chase away Lion cubs from kills. It devours all parts of its prey, including skin, hair, feathers, flesh and bones, holding its food down with its forepaws. It feeds on a wide range of animals and seems to subsist primarily on small vertebrates. Honey Badger studied in Kgalagadi Trans frontier preyed largely on Gecko and Skink (47.9% of prey species), Gerbil and Mice (39.7% of prey). The bulk of its prey comprised species weighing more than 100 g (3.5 oz) such as Cobra, young African Rock Python and South African Springhare. In the Kalahari, Honey Badger were also observed to attack domestic Sheep and Goat, as well as kill and eat Black Mamba.

Despite popular belief, there is no evidence that Honeyguides guide the Honey Badger.

Little is known of the Honey Badger breeding habits. Its gestation period is thought to last six months, usually resulting in two cubs, which are born blind. Its lifespan in the wild is unknown, though captive individuals have been known to live for approximately 24 years. The voice of the Honey Badger is a hoarse “khrya-ya-ya-ya” sound. When mating, males emit loud grunting sounds. Cubs vocalise through plaintive whines. When confronting dogs, Honey Badger scream like Bear cubs.

European Badger

European Badger are powerfully built animals with small heads, thick, short necks, stocky, wedge-shaped bodies and short tails. Their feet are plantigrade or semi digitigrade and short, with five toes on each foot. The limbs are short and massive, with naked lower surfaces on the feet. The claws are strong, elongated and have an obtuse end, which assists in digging. The claws are not retractable, and the hind claws wear with age. Old Badger sometimes have their hind claws almost completely worn away from constant use. Their snouts, which are used for digging and probing, are muscular and flexible. The eyes are small and the ears short and tipped with white. Whiskers are present on the snout and above the eyes.

Boars typically have broader heads, thicker necks and narrower tails than sows, which are sleeker, have narrower, less domed heads and fluffier tails. The guts of Badger are longer than those of Red Fox, reflecting their omnivorous diet. The small intestine has a mean length of 5.36 m (17.6 ft) and lacks a cecum. Both sexes have three pairs of nipples but these are more developed in females. European Badger cannot flex their backs as Marten, Polecat and Wolverine can, nor can they stand fully erect like Honey Badger, though they can move quickly at full gallop.

Adults measure 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in shoulder height, 60–90 cm (24–35 in) in body length, 12–24 cm (4.7–9.4 in) in tail length, 7.5–13 cm (3.0–5.1 in) in hind foot length and 3.5–7 cm (1.4–2.8 in) in ear height. Males (or boars) slightly exceed females (or sows) in measurements, but can weigh considerably more. Their weights vary seasonally, growing from spring to autumn and reaching a peak just before the winter. During the summer, European Badger commonly weigh 7–13 kg (15–29 lb) and 15–17 kg (33–37 lb) in autumn.

The European Badger ranks as the second largest terrestrial mustelid, behind only the wolverine. Although their sense of smell is acute, their eyesight is monochromatic as has been shown by their lack of reaction to red lanterns. Only moving objects attract their attention. Their hearing is no better than that of humans.

Adults have prominent sagittal crests which can reach 15 mm tall in old males and are more strongly developed than those of  the Honey Badger. Aside from anchoring the jaw muscles, the thickness of the crests protect their skulls from hard blows. Similar to Martens, the dentition of European Badger is well-suited for their omnivorous diets. Their incisors are small and chisel-shaped, their canine teeth are prominent and their carnassial are not overly specialised. Their molars are flattened and adapted for grinding. Their jaws are powerful enough to crush most bones.

Scent glands are present below the base of the tail and on the anus. The subcaudal gland secretes a musky-smelling, cream-coloured fatty substance, while the anal glands secrete a stronger-smelling, yellowish-brown fluid.

In winter, the fur on the back and flanks is long and coarse, consisting of bristly guard hairs with a sparse, soft undercoat. The belly fur consists of short, sparse hairs, with skin being visible in the inguinal region. Guard hair length on the middle of the back is 75–80 mm (3.0–3.1 in) in winter. Prior to the winter, the throat, lower neck, chest and legs are black. The belly is of a lighter, brownish tint, while the inguinal region is brownish-grey. The general colour of the back and sides is light silvery-grey, with straw-coloured highlights on the sides. The tail has long and coarse hairs, and is generally the same colour as the back. Two black bands pass along the head, starting from the upper lip and passing upwards to the whole base of the ears. The bands sometimes extend along the neck and merge with the colour of the upper body. The front parts of the bands are 15 mm (0.59 in), and widen to 45–55 mm (1.8–2.2 in) in the ear region. A wide, white band extends from the nose tip through the forehead and crown. White markings occur on the lower part of the head, and extend backwards to a great part of the neck’s length. The summer fur is much coarser, shorter and sparser, and is deeper in colour, with the black tones becoming brownish, sometimes with yellowish tinges. Partial melanism in Badger is known, and Albino and Leucist are not uncommon. Albino Badger can be pure white or yellowish with pink eyes, while Leucistic ones are the same but with normal eyes instead. Erythristic Badger are more common than the former, being characterised by having a sandy-red colour on the usually black parts of the body. Yellow badgers are also known.

European Badger are the most social of Badger, forming groups of six adults on average, though larger associations of up to 23 individuals have been recorded. Group size may be related to habitat composition. Under optimal conditions, Badger territories can be as small as 30 ha (74 acres), but may be as large as 150 ha (370 acres) in marginal areas. Badger territories can be identified by the presence of communal latrines and well-worn paths. It is mainly males that are involved in territorial aggression. A hierarchical social system is thought to exist among Badger and large powerful Boar seem to assert dominance over smaller males. Large Boar sometimes intrude into neighbouring territories during the main mating season in early spring.

Sparring and more vicious fights generally result from territorial defence in the breeding season. However, in general, animals within and outside a group show considerable tolerance of each other. Boar tend to mark their territories more actively than sows, with their territorial activity increasing during the mating season in early spring. Badger groom each other very thoroughly with their claws and teeth. Grooming may have a social function. They are crepuscular and nocturnal in habits. Aggression among Badger is largely associated with territorial defence and mating. When fighting, they bite each other on the neck and rump, while running and chasing each other and injuries incurred in such fights can be severe and sometimes fatal. When attacked by dogs or sexually excited, Badger may raise their tails and fluff up their fur.

European Badger have an extensive vocal repertoire. When threatened, they emit deep growls and, when fighting, make low kekkering noises. They bark when surprised, whicker when playing or in distress and emit a piercing scream when alarmed or frightened.

Oestrus in European Badger lasts four to six days and may occur throughout the year, though there is a peak in spring. Sexual maturity in boars is usually attained at the age of twelve to fifteen months but this can range from nine months to two years. Males are normally fecund during January–May, with spermatogenesis declining in summer. Sows usually begin ovulating in their second year, though some exceptionally begin at nine months. They can mate at any time of the year, though the main peak occurs in February–May, when mature sows are in postpartum oestrus and young animals experience their first oestrus. Mating occurring outside this period typically occur in sows which either failed to mate earlier in the year or matured slowly. European Badger are usually monogamous; boars typically mate with one female for life, whereas sows have been known to mate with more than one male. Mating lasts for fifteen to sixty minutes, though the pair may briefly copulate for a minute or two when the sow is not in 0estrus. A delay of two to nine months precedes the fertilised eggs implanting into the wall of the uterus, though mating in December can result in immediate implantation. Ordinarily, implantation happens in December, with a gestation period lasting seven weeks. Cubs are usually born in mid-January to mid-March within underground chambers containing bedding. In areas where the countryside is waterlogged, cubs may be born above ground in buildings. Typically, only dominant sows can breed, as they suppress the reproduction of subordinate females.

The average litter consists of one to five cubs. Although many cubs are sired by resident males, up to 54% can be fathered by boars from different colonies. Dominant sows may kill the cubs of subordinates. Cubs are born pink, with greyish, silvery fur and fused eyelids. Neonatal badgers are 12 cm (4.7 in) in body length on average and weigh 75 to 132 g (2.6 to 4.7 oz), with cubs from large litters being smaller. By three to five days, their claws become pigmented, and individual dark hairs begin to appear. Their eyes open at four to five weeks and their milk teeth erupt about the same time. They emerge from their setts at eight weeks of age, and begin to be weaned at twelve weeks, though they may still suckle until they are four to five months old. Subordinate females assist the mother in guarding, feeding and grooming the cubs. Cubs fully develop their adult coats at six to nine weeks. In areas with medium to high badger populations, dispersal from the natal group is uncommon, though Badger may temporarily visit other colonies. Badger can live for up to about fifteen years in the wild.

European Badger begin to prepare for winter sleep during late summer by accumulating fat reserves, which reach a peak in October. During this period, the sett is cleaned and the nesting chamber is filled with bedding. Upon retiring to sleep, Badger block their sett entrances with dry leaves and earth. They typically stop leaving their setts once snow has fallen. In Russia and the Nordic countries, European Badger retire for winter sleep from late October to mid-November and emerge from their setts in March and early April. In areas such as England and Transcaucasia, where winters are less harsh, Badger either forgo winter sleep entirely or spend long periods underground, emerging in mild spells

European Badger are highly adaptable and opportunistic omnivores, whose diet encompasses a wide range of animals and plants. Earthworm are their most important food source, followed by large insects, carrion, cereals, fruit and small mammals including Rabbit, Mice, Rat, Vole, Shrew, Mole and Hedgehog. Insect prey includes Chafer, Dung and Ground Beetle, Caterpillar, Leatherjacket and the nests of Wasp and Bumblebee. They are able to destroy wasp nests, consuming the occupants, combs, and envelope, such as that of Vespula Rufa nests, since their thick skin and body hair protect the badgers from stings. Cereal food includes wheat, oats, maize and occasionally barley. Fruits include windfall apples, pears, plums, blackberries, bilberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, acorns, beechmast, pignuts and wild arum corms.

Occasionally, they feed on medium to large bird, amphibian fish, small reptile including Tortoise, Lizard, Snail and Slug. Fungi, tubers and green food such as clover and grass particularly in winter and during drought. European Badger characteristically capture large numbers of one food type in each hunt. Generally, they do not eat more than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) of food per day, with young specimens yet to attain one year of age eating more than adults. An adult Badger weighing 15 kg (33 lb) eats a quantity of food equal to 3.4% of its body weight. European Badger typically eat prey on the spot, and rarely transport it to their setts.